Destiny
by forever-otaku
Summary: Taking place in present day United States, Tamahome and Miaka are college students. Tamahome saves Miaka from bad guys, thus, starting their relationship.
1. Fated Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and respective companies.

**Author's Note:** I have quite a bit of this story written on paper... I will be spending the next few days typing it all up.

**Chapter 1 – Fated Meeting**

Miaka hated Mondays. She lay in bed, waiting for her alarm clock to remind her that it was 6:30 in the morning. After a long weekend with her family, all she wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep. School was the last thing on her mind. However, she had to go. She sat up in her bed, stretched and yawned. Pulling her comforter and sheets off of herself, she slid out of bed, making sure to turn off the alarm clock on her way. She took a shower, wrapped a magenta colored towel around her body, and walked to her closet to pick out some clothes.

Miaka was in her second year of college at Konan University. She lives in a tiny one bedroom apartment by herself, and loves it. Once she was accepted in to one of the best schools in the US, she was eager to get out into the world, away from her parents. Her cramped apartment consists of a tiny kitchen, an even smaller bathroom, a good sized bedroom, and a small living room. Though small, she loved how close it was to the university. It was just a short 15 minute walk to the campus.

Once she chose her clothing for the day, she brushed her damp red hair, pulled it back with a ribbon, grabbed her backpack, and headed out the door. She walked to campus, not noticing how early it was. She reached the school an hour early to class. Not knowing what to do with the spare time, she headed to the cafeteria to get a quick, sugar-filled breakfast. She bought a small bag of barbecue potato chips and sat down at an empty table. Since it was still early, the cafeteria was relatively empty. She scanned the room until her eyes fell on an attractive guy sitting two tables away from hers. Ignoring him, she opened her bag of chips, and began eating them one at a time. Though she tried not to look at the mysterious stranger two tables away, her eyes were somehow drawn to him. She had never seen such a handsome guy in her life. He was sitting, eating the same flavor of chips as she was, and working on something on a laptop that sat in front of him. She was startled when he looked up from his computer and locked eyes with her. As if he knew he was be stared at, he smiled at her. Embarrassed, she frantically looked back down at the bag of chips in her hand. She turned red and hoped he hadn't of noticed.

She finished her chips while sneaking glances at him. She sat for a few minutes until she decided to go to class. She got up, threw her chip bag away, and glanced back at the mysterious man as she walked out the doors. To her surprise, he was looking right back at her with beautiful blue eyes. Embarrassed once again, she put her head down and continued to walk out the cafeteria doors.

Her day was relatively uneventful. She didn't have any close friends in any of her classes, but she always looked forward to after classes, when she got the chance to meet up with her best friend, Yui. They were usually always studying, or hanging out with each other. They met in their first year at Konan University and had been inseparable ever since. At school, time only allows them to see each other as Miaka is heading home, and Yui was on her way to her English class. Yui lives down the street from Miaka's lonely apartment in a two-story home with her mother. The two girls talked for their usual ten minutes until Yui had to go to class. They both said their goodbyes, exchanged hugs, and the Miaka set on her way to walk home.

Miaka always hated the time her last class was dismissed. If she had planned her schedule better, she wouldn't have her final class of the day ending at 9:30 at night. It was always dark out at the time she had to walk home, but this night was exceptionally dark. As she was walking to her apartment that night, she accidentally bumped shoulders with two men, who were apparently having a bad day that day. She quickly apologized to both of them, but that had no effect on them. They called her vile names, and violently pushed her down to the ground. Because it was dark, she couldn't see them very well. All she was able to see were their outlines. However, she could see that they were both muscular, athletic men. As she pleaded with them, begging them not to harm her, she felt one of the man's feet make contact with the right side of her ribs. Hard. All the wind escaped from her lungs. As she tried desperately to gasp for air, she rolled over, now huddled in a fetal position. It was at that she saw another foot coming toward her - this time, it was coming to her face. Helpless, she scrunched her eyelids together, preparing herself for the worst. However, after several seconds of anticipation, the kick never came. From her position on the ground, she opened her eyes, only to see something totally unexpected. The two men were laying face down on the ground, and a third figure standing over them. The third man extended his had to her.

"Are you alright?" A deep, yet gentle voice asked her. Surprisingly, those words were coming from the third figure.

"Yes, I am fine, thank you," she managed to get out in between gasps. She hurt where they had kicked her, but she wasn't about to tell a complete stranger that. Not taking the had he had offered to her, she slowly got to her feet and dusted herself off, being careful of her right side. She took off running in the direction of her apartment, unaware that she left her backpack laying on the ground in front of the third man's feet.

She ran with all her might to her lonely apartment. Once she got there, she hurriedly unlocked and fell through the door. She was physically hurt, in shock, and exhausted. Without wanting to go another stop, she collapsed on the floor in the walkway, closed her eyes, and quickly fell asleep.


	2. The Plans

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and respective companies.

**Author's Notes:** To those who commented: Thanks for comments... This is not my first fan fiction, I have written a few others but am reluctant to post them up here. The first chapter's paragraphs were long and boring, I know, but I'll try to do better with more dialogue and shorter paragraphs.

**Chapter 2 – The Plans**

Miaka was woken up by her doorbell continuously ringing. Hurting with every step, she stumbled to the door and opened it. She was speechless when she saw the handsome guy from the cafeteria standing on her doorstep.

"You forgot this," the handsome, mysterious man said in a familiar voice. She looked down to see him holding her backpack towards her. She reached her hand out and carefully took the backpack out of his outstretched hands. She thought for a moment, and her head was suddenly filled with questions to ask him.

"How did you know where I live?" She blurted without thinking.

He leaned over and touched a tag on the backpack. She had forgotten; she put a tag with her name and address written on it in case it ever got lost.

"Oh," she said, positive she came off as stupid. Finished with his task, the man turned to leave, but seemed to think better of it. He turned back around to face her.

"You were hit pretty hard. Are you really okay?" He asked gently.

With that innocent, caring, question, she immediately remembered where she heard his voice from. She pointed an accusing finger at his face. "Ah! You are that guy with the bullies!"

"Thats not a good way to talk to the guy who saved you!" The strange man retorted. "And I even brought your books back to you since you ran off without them!"

He was right. He did rescue her from two bad men, and then went out his way to deliver her bag to her. She desperately tried to think of a way to thank him. Then suddenly, an idea hit her like a lightening bolt. "How would you like to go to dinner with me this weekend? As a way to thank you, I mean."

Liking the idea of a free meal, the man accepted her offer. "Sure. How about Saturday night?"

"That sounds okay," Miaka replied. She was suddenly excited, but then realized that she didn't even know his name. "What is your name?"

"Tamahome."

"So, what time is best for you, Tamahome?" she asked, inquiring about the dinner they are planning.

"How about I meet you here at 6:00?"

"Sure!" Miaka had no idea why she was getting so excited. She wondered if her excitement was caused by handsome he was.

"Well, I'll see you on Saturday, Miaka," he said as he turned and left before she could say anything. She closed and locked her front door.

Exhausted, she collapsed onto her full-sized bed and slept.

The next morning, she woke up extra early, got ready for school, and sped out door. She excitedly ran to campus, eager to see if Tamahome was in the cafeteria working on his laptop. As she walked through the doors, she was ecstatic to see him sitting at one of the tables towards the back. He didn't seem to have his laptop with him, but instead, he was thumbing through a automotive magazine. To make it look like she wasn't only in the cafeteria to see him, she bought another bag of chips and walked up to him.

"Hey," she greeted. She pointed to the chair next to him. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

The violet-eyed man kindly smiled at her and responded. "Sure, go ahead."

Miaka sat her backpack down on the floor, pulled out the chair, and plopped down next to him. She couldn't deny it. Ever since the first time she laid eyes on him in this cafeteria, she felt attracted to him. He was handsome, kind, and willing to protect a girl. All of which were good qualities.

After the success of sitting with Tamahome, she didn't know what to talk about. So she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Where do you want to go for dinner on Saturday?"

Tamahome looked up at her from his magazine and glared at her. "You invited me to dinner and you don't know where you plan on taking me?"

Miaka was at a loss for words. "I only thought that I would ask you what type of food you would prefer, if you have any," she explained, hoping he wouldn't get angry at her. That was the last thing she wanted, so she thought it was best to apologize for whatever she did wrong. "I'm sorry."

Tamahome's face seemed to soften, which was what she had hoped for. He smiled and replied, "Anything is fine."

Miaka thought for a minute, and couldn't think of anywhere that would be suitable to eat. She loved food, but she had to remember that she had to entertain someone else. She came to the conclusion that she will decide on the place at a later time, and just enjoy the current moment with Tamahome.

She know she was attracted to Tamahome, but she was curious about how he felt about her. They had only met the day before, but she couldn't help being drawn to him. With his kind eyes, matching kind smile, and lovable personality, he was irresistible. She loved the gentle, calm aura that emanated from him.

"Is something the matter?" Tamahome asked. It was then that she realized she had been staring at him the entire time she was in her ponderings.

"Uh, no. Nothing at all." Miaka was embarrassed, being caught like that. Not knowing what else to say to him, she opened the chips she bought, took one out and chomped down on it. She held the bag out to him. "Want one?"

He nodded slowly and took one for the bag. He quietly ate it, then began to read his magazine again. Miaka didn't mind though. She was quite content with breathing the same air as him. She ate the rest of her chips, occasionally offering one to him, until it was time for first class to begin. Gathering up her things, she felt a little depressed that she had to leave him. "Well, I'll see you on Saturday night, Tamahome!"

Tamahome smiled and waved as she left the cafeteria, tripping on her own feet on her way out.


	3. The Dinner

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and respective companies.**  
**

**Chapter 3 – The Dinner**

After classes were over, there were no bullies out nor any Tamahome to rescue anyone. She walked to her own apartment lonely and silently. She unlocked her apartment door, opened it and walked in. She was immediately greeted with the darkness and despair of a lonely home. Turning on the light, she felt better. She closed the door and took off her shoes. She walked into the living room, sat down on floor, brought out her books from her overloaded backpack and prepared to study. Just as she was getting started, there was a knock at the door.

Wondering who it could be, Miaka got to her feet, ran to the door, and opened it. Standing before her was a strange, orange-haired man holding a plastic container. She recognized him immediately. "Tasuki!"

"Hey Miaka," the orange-haired man greeted. He held the container out to her. "Here. I brought you some udon from work. I know it is your favorite."

Smiling and glad that someone is thinking of her, she happily accepted his gift of food. "Would you like to come in and share it?"

"It's okay, I already ate some at work," he politely declined, secretly wanting to say. He lived in an apartment a few doors away from her, and has secretly been in love with Miaka ever since she talked to him for the first time. Despite his bad-boy appearance, he had no courage to tell her how he feels about her. He wouldn't hesitate to fight a man three times his size, but he couldn't confess to a girl – and he hated himself for it. "You go ahead and eat."

"Thank you Tasuki."

Tasuki blushed, suddenly at a loss for words. Slightly embarrassed and red as a tomato, he turned and began the walk to his apartment.

Miaka thought Tasuki was a kind guy. Whenever he had the opportunity, he would bring her food from where he works. He was the type of guy that her mother told her never to get involved with. He had tattoos, dyed hair, and most importantly... a motorcycle. Nonetheless, he was friendly and kind to her. Tasuki is the type of person she couldn't help but like.

She watched him walk away from her apartment, shut the door and settled back down to eat and study.

The next day, Miaka woke up late. After getting ready for school and running to campus, she didn't have time to stop by the cafeteria to see if Tamahome was there.

Little did Miaka know that Tamahome sat in the cafeteria, wondering if he would get the chance to see her. He had noticed her watching him on Monday, but he was used to it. He had noticed many other girls looking at him countless times before. But for some reason, when he saw the two men giving her a hard time, he couldn't help himself. Before he had the chance to think about it, he had already knocked the men out and had his hand out to her. He supposed that she was hanging around him because she felt guilty about treating him so badly afterwards.

Breaking out of his thoughts of the read-haired girl, he turned his attention to his laptop to concentrate on completing his essay. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the girl out of his mind. He was beginning to hope that she would come into the cafeteria so he could see her. Tamahome originally agreed to go to dinner with her because he wanted a free meal. However, that doesn't seem to be the case as of late. He was beginning to look forward to their dinner together.

The rest of the week went by at a snail's pace, and Miaka was so excited when Saturday afternoon came. She was looking forward to it, ans was happy when she found the perfect dinner to take him to. It was a nice place, and very quiet.

Forgetting about the place for the time being, she focused on what she should wear. She went to her small, over-crowded walk-in closet. She studied the clothing she owned, trying to pick something. After many changes and glances in the mirror, she felt she found the perfect outfit – an ankle length white skirt and a white long-sleeved v-neck shirt.

She took a shower, put her hair up in a normal pony-tail, dressed and walked to her closet once again. This time, she was looking for a pair of shoes that would look nice with her current attire. She had rows and rows of shoes, but always had trouble of finding a pair to wear. After much thought, she settled on a pair of sandals with white straps. Their destination wasn't too fancy nor too cheap, so she thought she should be dressed okay.

Not long after she was dressed and ready, it was 6:00pm, and Tamahome was right on time. There was a strong knock at the door, and she ran to open it. As she expected, it was Tamahome, and he looked better than she had ever seen him. He wore slightly baggy blue jeans, white shoes and a gray shirt with a brand name printed on the front of it. He wasn't overdressed, or under dressed for their destination. He looked perfect.

"So, have you decided where we are going for dinner?" Tamahome asked.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed, obviously excited about the dinner. "It's a really good place that a friend of mine works at. It isn't far either; we can even walk there!"

Tamahome was happy that she was so excited about the simple dinner. He thought that she looked cuter when she smiled. Thats why he spent hours in front of his wardrobe earlier; he was determined to look nice so she would smile when she saw him – and it worked. Tamahome knew that he was beginning to like her, he was beginning to wait for her ever morning in the cafeteria.

"Shall we go now?" Tamahome asked.

"Sure!" She exclaimed, not able to control her excitement.

Tamahome watched as she grabbed her handbag and locked her door. They began their short stroll to the restaurant. They talked about their classes and what they enjoy doing. There were many girls in the past who have approached him, and he agreed to many dates, but Miaka was the only one that he found himself sincerely interested in.

He intently listened to what she had to say with interest. Before he knew it, they were standing in front of an udon shop.

"This is the place," Miaka commented.

"It looks nice," Tamahome told her. "Let's go in."

Throughout dinner, they continued to talk. Miaka kept the conversation going, which was fine with Tamahome; he wasn't much of a talker and preferred to listen to others.

With their stomach's full, they walked out of the udon shop together. As Tamahome's eyes adjusted to the darkness outside, he noticed a orange-haired guy getting onto a sliver Suzuki sportbike. To Tamahome's surprise, he waved toward them with a goofy grin on his face. Tamahome looked at Miaka only to find her waving back to the strange guy. Obviously noticing Tamahome's questioning expression, Miaka explained. "That's Tasuki. He lives in my apartment complex, and he works at this udon shop."

From the appearance of the guy she called Tasuki, Tamahome secretly thought that he was up to no good. Being the fighter that he is, Tamahome had fought with many different types of people, and Tasuki's type have been many of them. However, he trusted Miaka's judgment and decided to trust the guy.

With a few steps, Tasuki walked over to them. "I didn't see you inside," Miaka told him.

He smiled and apologized to her. Tasuki shot a death glare in Tamahome's direction, and he immediately understood. Tasuki was in love with Miaka and didn't want anyone to get close to her. Oblivious to the look Tasuki gave Tamahome, Miaka introduced them to each other.

Ignoring the jealous attitude of Tasuki, Tamahome stuck his hand out to shake hands and said, "Nice to meet you." To Tamahome's surprise, the hot-tempered motorcyclist extended a hand to meet his. They shook hands, all the while Tasuki looked like he wanted to kill Tamahome. Tamahome ignored it, and just smiled at him.

Miaka sensed the odd behavior of Tasuki and didn't understand why he was acting the way he was. Normally, he's a very cool and understanding guy, but tonight he was acting strange. She couldn't help but wonder what was the matter with him. Miaka made a mental note to herself to ask him what was wrong the next time she saw him. But for now, she was out with Tamahome. She waved to him while saying, "I'll see you later, Tasuki!"

As he usually did, Tasuki blushed as he watched walk away from him. The orange-haired guy stood on the sidewalk in front of the udon shop and vowed to himself that he would prevent Tamahome from getting any closer to Miaka. Tasuki had secretly loved her for mother, and didn't want anyone to take her away from him.

Completely oblivious to Tasuki's love for her, Miaka walked with Tamahome back to her apartment where they met up at. Though, Miaka really didn't want to part with her current companion. She began to walk slower, hoping that she could spend more time with him that way. He was great, fun, attractive, and there was nothing she wanted more than to just be by his side.

Tamahome noticed Miaka's shift in pace, so he slowed his pace to match hers. It didn't bother him at all – he enjoyed Miaka's company. He remembered that she lived alone and wondered how lonely she must get. Tamahome thought for a minute and came to a conclusion. "Miaka, I have some place to show you. Will you come with me?"

"Sure!" Miaka exclaimed without any hesitation. She was just excited that she was going to spend more time with him. Tamahome smiled at her excitement, and began to walk to his vehicle. He had parked it at her apartments, with intentions of driving to the restaurant.

"Its a little far, so we will have to go by automobile. Is that okay?" Tamahome asked.

Miaka thought for a minute while she contemplated if he was trustworthy or not. She decided to trust him and agreed.


	4. Their Secret Place

**Disclaimer -** I do not own Fushigi Yuugi pr any of its characters. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and respective companies.

**Chapter 4 - Their Secret Place**

They walked to his vehicle, talking the entire way. They felt as ease with each other and felt as if they had known each other for years. Miaka also felt safe when Tamahome was around. Maybe it was the fact that he saved her from a group of bad men, she didn't know. All she knew was that she should stay by his side for as long as she could.

When they got back to the apartment's parking lot, he lead her to his vehicle. Miaka was shocked when her eyes fell on a brand-new black Chevrolet Silverado that Tamahome was walking towards. Miaka would have never guessed that he drove a sleek truck like that. Even more surprising though, was when Tamahome walked around the truck to open the passenger door for her. She smiled at him as she got in. He then shut the door behind her as she got seated. She watched him as he hurriedly walked to the other side of the truck and got in.

Once he got inside, he started it up and they were off. He drove through town and out of it. Before she realized it, he had driven her to a unfamiliar deserted road, and was still driving further from town.

Miaka began to have second thoughts about going with him. She wondered what he could possibly want to show her that is all the way away from town. She also wondered if she made the right choice in trusting him. As she was about to suggest that they turn around and go back to town, he pulled the truck off to the side of narrow road and parked it.

"We're here," he said as he got out of the truck. Meanwhile, Miaka wondered if getting out was a good idea or not.

While she was contemplating her situation, Tamahome ran around the vehicle to open the passenger side door for her. He was nervous, considering he had never shown anyone else this place. It was about midway up a mountain behind the town, and at this time, the roads were always deserted because nobody liked to through the mountains at night. He could only wonder what thoughts were going through Miaka's mind. He got to her door and opened it. Forcing a nervous smile, Miaka stepped out of the truck. Behind her, she heard the truck door close with a quiet click.

Miaka was feeling a little panicked as she stood outside the truck, facing Tamahome. "Come. It's just across the road," Tamahome encouraged her.

She glanced across the street to see what her impending doom was. She actually didn't see anything suspicious. Seeing her hesitation, Tamahome gently took hold of her left hand and slowly led her to the other side of the road. He watched as her face lit up in delight at what she saw. "Wow! Its so beautiful!"

And it was. Below the mountain was a view of the entire city of Konan.

"This is my secret place," Tamahome explained, looking down at the dirt on the ground. "I've never shown it to anyone else besides you."

"Wow, how did you find a place like this?" Miaka inquired.

Tamahome thought for a minute. "I needed a place to think one day, and just happened to come across this place, " Tamahome explained. "I often come here when I have something that's troubling me."

Miaka smiled at him and suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand. She blushed, and Tamahome noticed. He quickly let go of her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," he apologized.

She didn't mind his hand holding her. But she thought she did something wrong when he took his hand away. Curious about what had happened, she looked up at him to see that he was blushing as well. She smiled and looked back out at the city below them. "So, this isn't your secret place anymore. Now it's our secret place."

Tamahome smiled at her words, realizing that they were true. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, its our secret place."

They stood in the glow from the city lights for an hour. They slowly walked back to the silverado and Tamahome drove back to her apartment.

As Tamahome walked Miaka to her door, Miaka knew that she didn't want to leave him. However, they got to her door, said their goodbyes and she watched as he turned away from her and walked away. She turned and unlocked her door.

Just as she was opening her door, she heard thundering footsteps coming in her direction. A little startled, she turned her head only to see Tasuki coming towards her at a lightening speed.


	5. Tasuki's Questions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of its characters. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and respective companies.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for not updating for a while. I want to thank you all for remaining with me and reviewing. Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter 5 - Tasuki's Questions**

Miaka waited for Tasuki to catch his breath. "Who was that guy, Miaka?" Tasuki boldly inquired.

Not understanding the deeper meaning behind his question, she responded. "I introduced you two at the restaurant, didn't I?"

"Is he your boyfriend?" Tasuki demanded to know.

Recalling what happened on the mountain, she blushed. "Of course he isn't my boyfriend."

Miaka's slight blush didn't go unnoticed by Tasuki, however. It only made him even more suspicious. There were a mountain of questions that he wanted to ask her, but he was terrified off scaring her away. It took him a long time to get this close to her, he didn't want to mess up his chances with her. With those thoughts in mind, he decided to retreat from her for the night. "I have work tomorrow night as well, so I'll bring dinner for you, okay?"

Miaka smiled. "Sure."

With that, Tasuki turned and left for his apartment. Meanwhile, Miaka continued to go into her apartment, still oblivious to Tasuki's feelings for her.

Once Miaka got into her apartment, she was happy yet exhausted. She had to keep reminding herself that her outing was only a thank-you/I'm sorry dinner - not a date. Still, she was excited. She couldn't wait to see him in the cafeteria, if he was there, on Monday. Miaka considered calling Yui to tell her what a great guy Tamahome was, but decided it was too late to call. Yui was most likely already in bed.

She glanced at the clock on her cellular phone to see it read 11:20pm. Miaka didn't realize just how late it was until then. She pulled out her college textbooks, studied English for a few hours, got ready for bed, and slept.

Sunday was a bright and beautiful day. Miaka had plans to study with Yui, so she was expected to arrive at Miaka's apartment early. Miaka quickly showered and put on a comfortable pair of red plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. By the time she completed getting ready, Yui called to say that she was in the parking lot, as she usually did.

It didn't take Yui long to get across the complex parking lot. Miaka and Yui exchanged greetings at the apartment door. They walked in, say their books down on the coffee table that was located in the middle of the living room, and sat down on the floor. As they opened their books and picked up their pens, Yui was the first to speak. "So, how was your date?"

"It wasn't a date," Miaka retorted. "It was only a thank-you dinner."

Yui arched an eyebrow at her red-haired friend. "Right. So how was it?"

Unable to keep a secret from her best friend, Miaka told Yui every detail beginning with what Tamahome wore that night to what happened on the mountain.

After Miaka finished her story, Yui looked surprised. "You mean he actually showed you a place that he called his 'secret place'?"

"Yeah. It was very beautiful too."

"Hmm..." Yui didn't know what to say. Tamahome sounded like a really good guy, and Miaka seemed to totally like him. Yui was happy for her.

The two girls studied together for hours, occasionally taking a break to drink some coffee and talk about boys or something of the like. Nightfall came quicker than they would have liked. They were having such a good time talking and studying together. "I think I'd better get going home," Yui said.

"Okay," Miaka replied as Yui packed up her books and paper into her backpack that sat on the floor. Once packed, she hefted the overloaded pack onto her shoulders and walked out the front door. "Oh, I'll walk you out."

Miaka walked Yui out to the parking lot, where they parted ways for the weekend. On the way back to her apartment, she heard a motorcycle pull into the location where she had just left from. Turning her head to look, she saw Tasuki on his sleek Suzuki motorcycle. Not knowing if he saw her or not, she waved to him as he was pulling into a close parking spot. However, he made no notion that he saw her at all. As he shut off his bike, she made her way over to him.

As Tasuki took off his helmet, he noticed Miaka walking toward him. She caught him off guard with her pajamas on. Despite her attire, he thought she was beautiful. He walked to her. "Hey, Miaka. I brought dinner for you tonight. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I haven't," Miaka replied. "Do you want to come up and eat with me?"

Miaka asks him to eat with her every time he brings her food, and for reasons even unknown to him - he refuses. However, he reminded himself of the vow he made - The vow to get Tamahome away from Miaka. This will be step one. "Sure."

Miaka was shocked at his sudden change in attitude lately. She noticed that he was becoming more confident in himself. She silently wondered who is the cause of it. Bringing her thoughts together again, she spoke. "Shall we go eat?"

Proud of himself for braving the difficult task of accepting her offer, he grabbed the take-out box filled with udon, and walked with the girl he loves into her apartment. As he walked in behind her, he suddenly began to have second thoughts. Miaka went to the kitchen, brought down a bowl from a cabinet and put half of the udon in it. She took the bowl at the box with the remaining udon into the living room and sat them on the coffee table. Going out of his view and back to the kitchen, he heard her voice cut through the awkward silence. "I apologize for the messy apartment. I spent all day studying and I really didn't expect any other visitors besides Yui."

Coming back into his view with chopsticks, he responded. "Oh its okay. My apartment is always a lot messier than this."

Miaka smiled at Tasuki's attempt to make her feel better about her lack of housekeeping skills. The two walked to where she had sat the bowl. They sat on opposite sides of the small table, facing each other. Miaka had always eaten at the coffee table in her apartment, considering that she doesn't have room for a dining table. She suspected that Tasuki's apartment was similar to hers.

They talked about various things. "How is school going for you, Miaka?" Tasuki asked. He had never attended college before, and was genuinely interested in college life. He thought that it must be more interesting than making udon all day long.

"Its going well, actually," Miaka ventured. "My professors are really good and interesting."

"How did you meet Tamahome?" Tasuki interrogated. He wanted to learn more about how close they were, so he decided to ask around the topic.

"Well, he rescued me from a few bullies."

Tasuki arched an eyebrow at her. He knew that there had to be more to her story than what she planned on telling him. He completely understood that their relationship was probably none of his business, but he couldn't help it. He was in love with her.

"What?" Miaka asked, taking note of Tasuki's questioning gaze.

"Nothing," Tasuki replied, retreating back into his mind.

Miaka suddenly felt the air between them getting tense and felt the need to change the conversation topic. "So, are you dating anyone yet, Tasuki?"

Her question hit him like a ton of brinks. He wished that he could date her, and tell her how he felt, but he knew he couldn't. What else could he say to her? "No, not yet. Though, I do have someone in mind." It was the truth. He couldn't lie to her.

Grinning from ear to ear, Miaka decided to play matchmaker between the mystery girl and the orange-haired boy. Tasuki was always so sweet, caring and thoughtful towards her, that she wanted to do something for him. He never showed any interest in girls, so hearing that he liked someone was a bit of a shock to Miaka. "Hmm... Do you want to tell me about her? Would I know her? Does she work with you? Does she know you like her?"

He didn't expect the sudden flurry of questions. He was at a utter loss for words. Frightened by her questions, he decided that it was time to get home. He sat the chopsticks down on top of the bowl, turned, said, "thank you for having me over to eat," and bolted out of the apartment before she even knew what was happening.

Miaka sat in here apartment, shocked that Tasuki could run so fact. He was up and out of her home within a matter of seconds. She shrugged her shoulders, cleaned up, and went to bed.


End file.
